Reply envelop and postal card.



. Patented May 28, IQUL. J. D. OCDNNOR.

REPLY ENVELOP AND POSTAL CARD.

(Application filed Sept. 1, 1900.)

(No Model) QfiUNMAILABLl-I IF ADDRESS BE ALTEREDC 17 9. 1.

IMPRINTED POSTAGE STAM P RETURN-POSTAGE CLEARING COMPANY,

I F0 R Richard R 0c,

Phz'ZadeZp/a'w,

coME-BAcKcoMMERc1AL ENVELOPE 5i WUNMAILABLEIFADDRESS BE ALTEREDJfit POSTAL. CARD-ONE CENT.

Fon

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA;

THIS SIDE IS FOR THE ADDRESS ONLY.

RETURN-POSTAGE CLEARING COMPANY,

Rickard Roe,

" POSTAG E STAM P ma uonms PETERS co. mom-Lima, WAsb-HNGTUN. u. c.

UNITED STA res;

PATENT OF ICE.

JOHN D. OCONNOR, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR TO CHARLES G. PATTERSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

REPLY ENVELOP AND POSTAL CARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 675,137, dated May 28, 1901.

Application filed eptember l, 1900. Serial No. 28,844. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN D. OCONNOR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, District'of Columbia, have invented certain new and 'usefulImprovements in Reply Envelops and Postal Cards, of which the following is a specification.

The objects of the present invention are to reduce the costto mercantile houses and other organizations and individuals of obtaining replies to advertisements and other communications and to facilitate transaction of business between such business houses, &c., and the Post-Office Department. It is now custoniary with many business houses and other parties to send out advertising matter or inquiries accompanied by addressed stamped envelops or postal cards by means of which replies to the advertisement or inquiry may be made without cost'to the party replying. Very many of these stamped envelops and postal cards are readdressed and diverted to other uses,from which the original purchasers of the cards and envelops derive no benefit, while a large number of such cards and envelops are thrown away or destroyed as waste paper. EX- perience shows that but a very small percentage of the addressed prepaid missives distributed in this manner returns to the sender, and the loss and waste involved in this business operation are so great as to largely restrict the use of such missives. It is well understood that if means were devised to prevent such loss and waste the use of reply cards and envelops would be enormously increased, with a consequent increase to the revenues of the Government.

The present invention consists in a new article of manufacture by means of which the purchaser of stamped envelops or postal cards intended for reply purposes is not required to pay the postage on any of such envelops or cards which are unused or redirected and not returned to him, and whereby diversion 4 5 of said cards and envelops from their intended uses may be prevented. In other words, a merchant or other individual or organization may by the means herein described obtain replies or other communications from customers or correspondents and pay the postage thereon without paying any postage on envelops or cards sent out and diverted to other channels by the receivers, and such diverted cards or envelops become nnmailable, except to the addressee. The use of the present invention, as hereinafter described, will effect great economy in and increase and facilitate this class of advertising and correspondence, thereby tending to increase the business and profits of the Post-Office Department and the legitimate business and profits of its patrons.

In carrying out the invention I may use the usual stamped envelops and postal cards issued by the department, or, if deemed best, envelops and cards having a specially-designed stamp may be used. The character or design of the stamp is immaterial; but one printed directly upon the paper of the envelop or card should be used.

I shall now describe the invention in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front View of an envelop embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a rear view of the same, and Fig. 3 is a front orface view of a postal card to which the invention is applied.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that near the upper margin of the envelop A and the postal card B is printed a device or legend constituting a prohibition of transmission through the mails if the address be changed or erased. As shown, this is in the form of a legend, as follows: Unmailable if address be altered. The purpose of this warning device or direction is to render the envelop or card useless unless it is mailed to the original addressee, whose address is printed in the usual space on the lower half of the front. The card or envelop is to be denied passage through the mails if readdressed or the address altered or mutilated. This feature of the invention may take various forms, the essential thing being that the envelop or card shall bear, in connection with an imprinted address, a device, stamp, symbol, or legend constituting a prohibition to the use of the mails if the address be erased or altered.

Just above and preceding the specific ad- 10: dress of the party by whom the cards or envelops were sent out, called the secondary addressee, is the address of an organization or company to Whom the card or envelop is to be delivered by the Post-Oflice Departinent for the second addressee. As illustrated, this primary address is Return-Postage Clearing Company, for, such company being herein termed the primary addressee. One object in having a company or individual through which such correspondence may be transacted is to consolidate the responsibility for payment of the return postage in such manner that a single bond or deposit on account of this class of business may be kept by the Post-Ofilce Department.

The manner in which the new missives herein described are to be employed in the conduct of business will now be briefly explained.

The Return-Postage Clearing Company or other party charged by the Post-Office Department with the transaction of this business will purchase from the Post-Office Department in suitable quantities stamped envelops and postal cards, paying for the cards and envelops only and not for the stamps or postage. The company will file a bond or make a suitable deposit to secure the Government against loss should payment of the postage on any of said cards or envelops be refused by the addressee after they have passed through the mail. The primary addressee is the Return-Postage Clearing Company or other party to whom the cards and matter so that the postal agents will recognize its unmailable character if the address be tampered with. As already stated, a special stamp or symbol may be employed for this purpose. The company or party termed herein the primary addressee will distribute the cards and envelops to customers and print their addresses at the proper place on the face thereof. The cards and envelops are then sent out through the mail as inclosures or otherwise distributed to the parties from whom replies are desired. Such cards or envelops as are used without altering the addresses are delivered at the postoffices to the primary addressee or its representative upon payment of the postage due thereon, and the Government is thus remunerated for its service, it being intended that the bond or deposit furnished by the primary addressee is simply to indemnify the Government in case of any refusal to pay postage when due, and not intended as an account against which postage shall be charged in ordinary transactions. The primary addressee upon receiving mail is to immediately distribute the same to its customers.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

As a new article of manufacture, a reply missive having printed thereon the address of a primary addressee, the address of a secondary addressee, and a device or legend indicating that the missive will not be inailable if either address be altered.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN D. OCONNOR.

lVitnesses:

SAMUEL II. AGNEW, JAMES A. WATSON. 

